Rockets' Howard proves to have plenty in common with Olajuwon

Hakeem Olajuwon and Guy V. Lewis. credit for both is Methodist Hospital.

Hakeem Olajuwon and Guy V. Lewis. credit for both is Methodist...

Some think Dwight Howard's reported waffling this past week on whether he wanted to be in Los Angeles or Houston or Oakland, and his admitted waffling about staying or leaving Orlando a year or so ago, are indicators he is not made of championship material.

Harvey Araton of the New York Times described him as "demanding a new contract every 5.7 seconds," the Washington Times said his middle name was "Trade me, please," and outlets from coast to coast questioned his commitment to team, particularly considering his open criticism of the personnel surrounding him, blaming the lack of support for the Rockets having lost in the first round in four straight playoff series.

Rockets owner Charlie Thomas called him greedy, so much so that the team put in a contract clause that said should Olajuwon again seek a raise before the contract was up, he would have to forfeit almost two years of salary.

Less than three years into that five-year deal, the team sent him a letter threatening to use that clause if he didn't stop trying to renegotiate.

A few days later, the team suspended Olajuwon with a claim that he was faking an injury as a contract ploy.

Olajuwon was angered and insulted. He demanded a trade, and the public feud was on.

Steve Patterson, the Rockets general manager at the time, said at least half the NBA's 26 teams made offers or inquiries about trading for him.

A trade with the Lakers, for James Worthy, Vlade Divac and Byron Scott, was agreed upon but fell through due to new salary-cap restrictions.

Imagine the Rockets' history had that deal gone through.

Olajuwon might have been on Team Purple instead of with Red Nation during meetings with Howard last Tuesday.

And of course, had Twitter been around in 1992, Olajuwon would have trended worldwide, and not in a good way.

Especially because the Rockets lost all five games he missed with the injury and the suspension, and they missed the playoffs for the first time in his seven-year career.

The Lakers edged them out by one game.

Howard lost public support simply by caring too much about what the public thought. That made it difficult for him to leave Orlando, the franchise that drafted him in No. 1 in 2004, 20 years after the Rockets took Olajuwon in the same spot.

Olajuwon wasn't concerned about public perception.

Have you seen the video clip of a smiling Howard hugging former Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, then being stunned when Van Gundy accused him of trying to orchestrate his ouster?

That was child's play compared to what Olajuwon did.

After a summer of silence while the Rockets failed in attempts to trade him, Olajuwon showed up at the Rockets' media day prior to the 1992-93 season in a foul mood.

He walked into The Summit, shook hands with Thomas, then went to the other end of the court to meet the media and delivered one of the more memorable rants in Houston sports history.

"I don't want to get down in the mud with this organization," Olajuwon said. "In my country, there is an old saying: Staying silent is the best answer for fools."

But Olajuwon didn't choose silence. Oh, no.

"Charlie has been a coward standing behind the organization and letting Patterson do the dirty work," Olajuwon said. "If you were me, would you want to be here? Of course not. They have insulted my integrity."

Imagine these days if an NBA player asked for a raise, then called his owner a coward and said the organization was run by fools.

Now, I must mention that Dream was indeed underpaid.

David Robinson, Patrick Ewing and even rookie Shaquille O'Neal were pulling down higher salaries than the game's best center. Thomas was trying to run things on the cheap as he fielded offers to sell the team.

It didn't matter to many. Players seeking more money rarely have public support.

Yet Olajuwon is remembered as being one of the classiest players in recent memory.

He didn't hire a public-relations firm to craft a faux apology. He didn't release a teary YouTube video.

All he did was dominate. And win.

Howard, who has agreed to sign with the Rockets, might never be the player Olajuwon was - he doesn't have the footwork, the shooting touch, the tenacity - but if he follows his championship lead, perhaps 20 years from now he'll be remembered for something other than slow decision making.

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